Freeze Your Thorns Off Virtual 5K Race Report

Adam at The Boring Runner hosted The Freeze Your Thorns Off Virtual 5K race this morning. The race director for my local area (ie. ME!) instituted a weather delay because Saturday it just wasn't cold enough.  Race morning dawned to temps in the low 20's with a Feels Like temp in the teens. Perfect running weather, right!

I brought along an unsuspecting participant in the race, my running partner Anne.  I did the first 1.6 miles by myself while I waited for Anne and then together we did the rest.  This race was part of my long run for the week so I only counted the first 5K (my ability to do math or complex watch laps during a long run is rather limited!) In fact, my memory failed me and I didn't take my split at the .1 so I'm going to have to estimate my time. 

Weather at the start...it only warmed up to 27 for the finish.

For the first half of the course, I did a loop through the downtown Bentonville area that would be around a mile since I wasn't sure how much time I had before Anne got there.  When I returned to the square she wasn't there yet so I tacked on a short loop to the North of the square.  This beginning portion had given me the insight that Bentonville was experiencing multi-directional wind today.  This is a rather unique weather phenomenon that seems to occur only when you are attempting to ride bikes or run.  It is characterized by the wind changing direction anytime you do so that it seems to always be in your face.

Given that we thought the wind was coming from the Northeast we headed out to the East so that we could have the wind at our backs later in the run.  This presented a rather challenging middle and end to our course...uphill.   We kept trucking and made it to the top near the 3 mile marker.  We then headed South and this is where I forgot to take my split.

After finishing my 10 miles, bundled up and ice on my hat!

At the 3 mile mark my time was around 33:48 so I'm going to go with a 35 minute time for today's 5K.  This is a far cry from my actual 5K but I'm not upset with it at all.  I couldn't have completed a 10 mile run if I would begun with a 5K at race pace, especially in this cold.  I actually had faster miles later on in my run once I was more properly warmed up.  My goal for participating in the virtual race was simply to provide myself with the motivation and accountability to do my long run.  January and February are historically the months where I am most likely to skip long runs and I don't want to fall into that trap this year.  In the past I have lost too much fitness and then spent the spring months trying to get back into shape versus trying to get better. 

Thanks to Adam for organizing this event and providing me with the motivation to get out there.  Sadly the weather held true and I did get to Freeze! Luckily my race director (again ME!!!) decided to spring for a Happy Meal and Hot Chocolate for today's participants.  Woohoo! What a well deserved treat!